Fluid separator



' July 31, 1923.

C. IP. WOOD FLUID SPARATOR Filed March 8. 1922 WIT/V555 iii Eli)

'ijatented July El,

lafitfltt ELID SEPARATOR.

Application filed March 3, 19223. Serial Ho. 542,158.

/'o a'ZZ w 7mm it may Gomera:

Be it known that l, CLAnnNon P. W001), a citizen of the United) States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful mproveinents in Fluid Separator-s; of which the foltomary in certain types of compression re-V frigeration systems to circulate in certain parts of the system a suitable lubricating medium in conjunction with the refrigerant for the Purpose of lubricatingthe working parts of the pump or compressor, it is requisite to effect a separation of the lubricant from the refrigerant after the mixture has passed through the pump or compressor in order that the lubricant may be returned to the niechanism which it is desired to lubricate in a form suitable for that purpose.

It will be understood that customarily the 'refrigerant, in the form of .a 'vapol', is pumped from the refrigerating or erpansion coilsto the condenser where it is returnedto liquid form and that as the refrigerant comes from the expansion coils there is mixed therewith in finely divided form and held in mechanical suspensionthereby,

a certain quantity of the lubricant employed in the system for lubricating the working parts. lninstallations in which sulphur dioXide is utilized as the refiigerant this i lubricant is generally in the form of a suitable oil7 or if ethylchloride is used as the refrigerant glycerine is frequently employed as the lubricant, and it is the function of the separatorto effect a separation of the lubricant from the vaporized refrigerant ordinarily prior to the passage of the latter 'to the condensing coils. 1

lt is therefore an object of my invention to provide means for elfecting this separation which are efiicient for the purpose :in-`

tended, siinplein form, not'liable to get out of order and which Vmay be manufactured at a relatively low costw i My invention further comprehends all of the other objects and novel features of construction and arrangement which will hereinafter appear from the following description of a preferred form of the invention or which more particularly illustrated in the accoinpanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the said drawing, in which i have illustrated a preferred form of my invention; figi is a top plan view thereof with the cover partially broken away to show the interior construction of the separator; Fig; 2 is a 've cal central section on line 2--2V in F l, and Fig. 3 is a Vertical section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Like numerals are used to designate similar parts in the several iigures.

fleferring more particularly to the form of the invention illustrated, vthe same comprises a cylindrical hollow vbody or casing 9 having a pre ferably integral base 3 which closcs the lower end thereof, The casing is provided adjacent the base with a suitably threaded opening` for the reception of a pipe throno'h which the lubricant after separation from the refrigerant may be withdrawn from the Separator and may also be provided with a similar opening 6 positlojned at aconvenient distance above the. base in whichin practice a try-Cook may be connected for determining theheight of the liquid in the Separator. The body of the Separator is. lalso provided at a point toward the upper end thereof with an interiorly threaded nipple or connection 7 for the attaclnnent of a pipe through which the fluid whose constituents are to be separated is conducted to the Separator and with a similar connection or nipple 8, preferably diametrically opposite the inlet connection and substantially in the same horizontal plane i therewith, for the attachment of a pipe through which one of the constituents, for example the refrigerant, is removed from the Separator after the separation has been effected.

The upper extremity of the body may be provided with a perimetral fiange 10 to provide suflicient thickness of metal for the accominodation of the interiorly threaded holes ll disposed atspaced intervals thereabout and which are enteredby the cap screws 12 passing through a cover 13 adjacent its perimeter, 'this covering being opcrative to close the end of the body. As shown, the cover is provided with a central interiorly threaded nipple 14 which in cor- 'tain installations is uti'ized for the attachleo lit)

ment of a pipe connection but under ordinary conditions maybe operativelyv closed With a suitable pipe plug.

Positioned within the body 2 and extending preferably entirely across the same and at right angles to the a-Xis of the inlet 7 is a partition 15 adjoining at its lower extremity a horizontally disposed shelf 16 preferably disposed a point about. midway the length of the body, the partition being provided on each side with a plurality of vertically`` spaced eorrugations or ridp'es .17, 17' preferably forined integral with the partition, which in turn is preferably integral with the shelf. lVhile in certain constructions the partition and shelf, if desired, may be formed separately from the body 'andoperatively securedtherein, l prefer to cast or otherwise form them integrally with the body in the manner indicated in the drawing. The ridges 17, 1'57' are, as stated, Vdisposed one above the other on eai'h side of the partition in vert-i 'ally spaced relation,

each ridge being preferaoiy 'in the form of' a relatively' blunt inverted vhen viewed as in Figz, 'the ape); of the V being substantially on the center line the bodyl and the ric being inclined downwardly therefrom in either direction to its point of juncture with the wall of the body.

To assist in deflecting the ineoming vapor current toward the ton of the se arator l preferably curve theupper extremity of the partition toward the inlet connection 7, thus providing a sort of hoolr-shaped element 18 overhanglng the ridges 17, this element being disposed at a relatively short distance below the under side of the cover, and I also preferably extend the shelf 16 beyond the partition and in the direction of the inlet and provide a transversely extending upwardly' Curved lip 19 adjacent'its edge, thus in .effect forming a gutter below the ridges 17 operativeto catch the separated lubricant as it drips downwardly from the ridges. Preferably, however, I terminate the lip a short distanceV from the points where it wouldV otherwise join the wall` of the body, thereby Vforming` vents'QO through which the lubricant accumulated in the gutter may readilyV find its way downwardly Vto the bottompof ,the casing. Similarly, to perniit the lubricant which would otherwise collectabove the main portion ofthe partition 16 to find its way' to the bottoin of the body, I provide the partition with a relatively small aperture 22 .through which the lubricant may fiow. o

For the purpose of additionally restricting and retarding the flow of the vapor to the Separator as i't passes from the inlet to the Outlet thereof, I provide adjacent the upper end of the body and on that side of the partition adjacent the outlet a bafiie plate 24. This plate is preferably seglnental in form and of a size to fit snugly around a portion of the interior of the casing and terformed integrally with the body similarly' with the shelf and partition n operation, 'the several parts of the sep-` arator having` been assembled as hit'herto described and the device sofconnected that the' lfiuid to beV separated is drawn: or fori'ed thereinto throughthei'nlet, the major port-ion of this'fluid first iinpinges Von the par-v tition and' ridges ,17, thenoeV passes f upwardly and in a somewhat'reverse"direction over the partition and thence generally* downwardly on 'rid'ges 17' and between the partition andfthe b'afiie'plat'e andoutwardly through the Outlet.V 'By reason of the pecunar internal construction of theseparator,

the Velocity ofthe fluid during its passage therethrough is retardedV and eddy currents set up, resulting'in: a very eflicient separation of the suspended lubricant from its vehicle, such'as the refrigerant gas, sothat the latter passes from the Separator substantially free fromthe lubricantvwhile the latter 'collects by g-I'avity 'inthe bottom of the body in liquid form and incondition to be returned to the system through the outlet 5. i Itwill, of course,'be levident* that a certain part of the vapors during their passage through the separator will be defiected in a downward; direction to pass beneath the shelf and upwardly'through the aperture 22 therein on their way to theoutlet,butVV owing to thefaot'that' the aperture 22 is of relatively smallV size7 a comparatively small proportion 'of the 'vapors follow this course and 4those'tliat Vdoare constrained to moveat 2 a relatively' low 'Velocity *and through a somewhat tortuous path, thus permitting the lubricant contained therein to separate out andV pass to the bottoin of the casing.

Nhile ed for use in effecting the separation of the lubricanti from the refrigerant in a; refriger'- ating system and'while I have more particularly referred'herein to its employment for sucl purpose, I do not thereby desire or intend to in any manner limit its use solely thereto be utilized for etl'ectingseparation of the I prefer to form this plate sep-l my invention isiparticularly adaptas invention may readily7 Laos-3,789

constituents of composite fluids other than those consisting of a refrigerant gas and a lubricant if desired. Moreover, While I have herein illustrated and described a preferred einbodiment of iny invention7 it is not iny purposc to thereby limit myself to any precisc details of construction or arrangement of the various parts, as suitable changes and niodifications niay be made therein if desired Without departing froin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended clainis. i

Having tlius described niy invention, claiin and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1., ln a device of the class described, the combination with a cylindrical casing operatively closed at each end and having an inlet and an Outlet, of avertical partition within and extending diametrically of said casing and normal to the axis of the inlet,

said partition having` a plurality of Verti-V call;7 disposed within the casing 'substan-` tially at right angles to the aXis of the inlet and having' a plu ality of vertically spaced, substantially `V-shaped ridges on each of its sides and terminating below the top of the casing, the upper extremity of the partition beingl curved toward the inlet, a shelf beneath and adjoining the partition and provided With an aperture on one sideV of the partition and an upwardly curved transversely extending lip on the other side of the partition7 the ends of said lip being out of contact With the Wall of the casing, and a segmental baflie plate disposed above said shelf extending from the Wall of the casing towai'd the partition and terminating adjacent but out of contact therewith.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination With a cylindrical casing operatively closed at each end and having an in- .let and an Outlet, of a partition diametrically disposed within the casing substanstantially at right angles to the aXis of the i inlet and having a plurality of vertically spaced, substantially V-shaped ridges on each of its sides and terminating below the top of the casing, the upper extremity of the partition being,` curved toward the inlet,

'a shelf beneath and adjoining` the partition and provided With an aperture on one side of the partition and an upwardly curved transversely extending lip on the other side of the partition, the ends' of said lip being CLARENCE P. VVOOD. 

